Railway-brake adjuster.



No. 823917. PATENTS-D JUNEIQ, 1906.

v P. T. NEWITT & A. J. SMITH. RAILWAY BRAKE ADJUSTER.

.R. E. BROOKS APPLICATION FILED D3027, 1906.

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ROBERT E. BROOKS,

PATENT OFFICE. FRANK T. NEWITT, AND ANDREW J. SMITH, OF BUENA VISTA, OOLORADO.

RAILWAY-BRAKE. ADJUSTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

Application filed December 27,1905. Serial No. 293.471.

To whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT E. BROoKs, FRANK T. NEWITT, and ANDREW J. SMITH, citizens of the United States of America, re siding at Buena Vista, in the county of Chaffee and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Railway-Brake Adjusters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in slack-adjusters for railroadbrakes; and it has for an object the provision of a novel device of this character which is connected to and acts in conjunction with the dead-lever of the brake.

, As generally constructed it is necessary for a person to adjust the slack of a railroadbrake to do so by hand, which necessitates getting beneath the car. This presents a field of'much danger, not only by premature starting of. a train, but from injury liable by snow, ice, or other causes, as will readily be n ap reciated.

t is the object of this invention to obviate these disadvantages, which is done by presenting a device which is' operated from either side of a car.

It is also an object of this invention to rovide in a device of this kind novel loo 'ng means whereby the brake is held in its several adjustments.

Finally, an object of this invention is to produce a device of the character noted possessing advantages in points of efficiency,

simplicity, and durability, proving. at the same timecomparatively inexpensive to prodime and maintain. V

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail reference Willbe had to the acoom anying drawings, forming part of this speoi cation, wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, in which v Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of the in- I vention. Fig. 2'is a section taken on the line partly in elevation and partly in section, of

In the drawings, 10 denotes a base-plate which is secured in any suitable manner to the draft-timbers or other part ,of a railroadcar. This base is provided centrally with a longitudinal slot 11. Depending from either sideof the slot 11 are flanges 12, said flanges forming a guideway fora slide 13, which extends through the slot in the base and is provided with a head 14. Secured to the under surface of the base above the slot is a cover or cap 15, which is intended to limit any upward movement of the slide. It may be stated that the slide 13' is approximately T- j shaped in cross-section.

Arranged near one edge of the base 10 is a bracket 16, which has an extension 16.

To the extension 16 is pivoted at 17 a lever18, which is intended to extend entirely across the bottom of a car and to project slightly therebeyond on either side. This lever 18 is also pivoted at 19 to the slide 13. The slide 13' 1s pivotally secured at one endto the deadlever 20 of the brake .mechanism. As the brake mechanism forms no part of the invention, an illustration thereof and a detailed description are thought unnecessary.

It is readily to be understood that when it is necessary to adjust the slack of the brake, either to take up or let out, the lever 18 is swung in the proper direction, and after the proper adjustment has been made the slide 13 1s. looked in said adjusted position. Any form of locking means may be employed in conjunction with the slide; but it has been found best in practice to employ the form illustrated in the drawings; The flanges 12 are each provided with an oppositely-dis posed opening 2'1,while the slide 13 is provided with a series of openings 22. To hold the slide-against movement in its guide, a pin or the like is passed through the o enings' 21 of the flanges or, guide and one o the openings 22 of the slide. In order that thelocking means maybe easily operated from .the side of the car, a sliding lever 23 isheld by Patented June 19, 1-906.

cured to the bracket by means of the bolts '25. The sliding lever extends beyond'either side of the ear and is provided with upturned portions 26, which form a hand-grasp for the operation thereof. Depending from the sliding lever 23 is a flange 27, which is normally positioned adjacent one of the flanges 12 of the base-plate 10.

The bracket 16 is provided with a tubular body 28, which is positioned beneath the sliding lever 23. Fitting within the tubular body is a head 29 of a pin 30, said pin passing through the opening in the flange 27 and through the openings in the flanges 12 of the base and one of the openings 22 of the slide 13. Between the flange 27 of the lever 23 and the head 29 of the bolt 30 are rigid connections 31. By this arrangement it will be understood that a movement of the lever 23 will impart a movement to the head 29 through the medium of the rigid connections 31, and thereby release the pin 30 from the slide 13. In order that the pin may hold its normal or locked position, the spring 32 is inserted within the tubular body 28 and exerts pressure on the head 29 of the pin 30 and the screw 33, threaded in an end of the tubular body. It will be readily understood that by the provision of the screw-head 33 the tension of the sprin 32 can be regulated.

Having fully escribed our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with the dead-lever of a brake, a slide connected thereto, and a pivoted cross-lever pivotally secured to the slide.

2. In combination with a dead-lever brake, a base, a slide carried by the base, a connection between the slide and dead-lever, a lever arranged transversely of the base pivoted to the base and to the slide.

3. In combination with a dead-lever brake, a base, a guide formed on the base, a slide within the guide, a connection between the slide and dead-lever, and a lever pivoted to the base and to the slide.

4. In combination with a dead-lever brake, a base, a slide in the base, means for imparting motion to the slide, a locking-pin for the slide, a connection between the slide and dead-lever, and a sliding lever for releasing the pin from the slide.

5. In combination with a dead-lever brake a base, a slide carried thereby, a connection between slide and dead-lever, means for imparting motion to the slide, a locking -pin normally engaging the slide and means for holding the pin in its normal position.

6. In combination with a dead-lever of a brake, a base, a slide carried by the base connected to the dead-lever, and a lever pivoted to the base and to the slide.

7. In combination with a dead-lever of a brake, a base, a slide on the base, means for imparting motion to the slide, a connection between the slide and the dead-lever, and

both the guide and the slide for locking said slide against movement.

10. In combination with a dead-lever of a brake, a base, a slide on the base, a connection between the slide and dead-lever, a locking-pin for the slide, and means for releasing the pin from the slide.

11. In combination with a dead-lever of a brake, a base, a slide in the base, a connection between this line and the dead-lever, a

spring-pressed locking-pin normally engaging the slide.

12. In combination, a base, a slide on the base, a connection between the slide and dead-lever, a locking-pin for the slide, a spring engaging the pin to hold it normally in engagement with the slide and means for varying the tension of the spring.

13. In combination with a dead-lever of a brake, a base, a slide in the base, a eonnecu tion between the slide and dead-lever, a locking-pin in the slide, a lever, and means carried by the lever engaging the pin to release said pin from the slide.

14. In combination with a dead-lever brake, a base, a slide on the base, a connection between the slide and dead-lever, a locking-pin for the slide, a sliding lever for releasing the pin from the slide and a guide for the sliding ever.

15. In combination with a dead-lever of a brake, a base, a slide on the base, a connection between the slide and the dead-lever, a locking-pin for the slide, a guide for the locking-pin, and meansfor releasing said lockingpin from the slide.

16. In combination with a dead-lever of a brake, a base, a slide on the base, a connection between the slide and dead-lever, a locking-pin for the slide, a guide for the lockingpin, means for releasing said locking-pin from the slide, and a spring within the guide bearing on the pin to hold said pin normally in engagement with the slide.

17. In combination, a base, a slide in the base, said slide having a series of perforations, a connection between the slide and the dead-lever, and a locking-pin for engaging the perforations of the slide.

18. In combination with a dead-lever brake, a base, a slide on the base, a connection between the slide and dead-lever, a locking-pin for engaging the slide, said pin having a head, a lever, means for engaging the head of the pin for releasing said pin from the slide.

19. In combination, a base, a slide on the base, a locking-pin for engaging the slide,

said pin having a head, a lever, and means carried by the lever for engaging said head for releasing said pin from the slide.

' 20. In combination, a base, a slide on the base, a locking-pin for the slide, a lever, a flange on the lever, and means carriedby the flange for releasing said pin from the slide.

21. In combination, a base, a slide on the base, a locking-pin for the slide, a lever, a

flange on the lever, means carried by the flange for engaging the pin and for releasing rigid connections between the flange of the lever and the head of the pin for releasing said pin from the head.

24. In combination, a base, a slideZon the base, a tubular body arranged adjacent the slide, a locking-pin movable within the tubular body and engaging the slide, and means for imparting motion to the pin.

25. In combination, a base, a slide on the base, a bracket arranged adjacent the slide, a lever pivoted tothe bracket and to the slide, and means movable within the bracket for engaging and locking the slide.

26. In combination, a base, a slide on the base, a bracket adjacent the slide, a lever pivoted to the bracket and to the slide, a locking-pin for the slide movable within the bracket, and a sliding lever held by the bracket engaging the pin to release said pin from the slide.

27. In combination, a base, a slide on the base, a locking-pin for the slide, a sliding lever for releasing the pin from the slide, and a guide for the sliding lever, said guideproviding a supporting means for the lever.

In testimony whereof we aflix our slgnatures, in the presence of two witnesses, this 11th day of December, 1905.

ROBERT E. BROOKS. FRANK T. NEWITT. ANDREW J. SMITH.

Witnesses:

J osnrn N EWITT C. T. J OHNSON 

